Barriers To Illegal Immigrants

Globally, the United States has been known as "a nation of immigrants" almost from its inception. Beginning in the 1600s with English Puritans and continuing today, America is a melting pot of culture and ethnicity. In fact, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration was the major source of U.S. population growth. Looking over our 200+ years we find that to clearly be true, with approximately 1 million immigrants coming to America during the 17th and 18th century. Almost 3 million arrived during the 1860s, and another 3 million in the 1870s. In the next four decades, the number of immigrants rose to over 25 million people, most from various European nations, most arriving in New York or one of the Eastern seaports (Damon, 1981). Despite the politicization, as of 2006, the United States actually was the number one country globally to accept legal immigrants into the country, with a current immigrant population of almost 40 million (Terrazas and Batalova, 2009). In fact, the peak of immigration was 1907, when over 1.2 million Europeans entered the country beginning a push towards legislation limiting immigration in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1924 and the 1921 Congressional Quota Act. These immigrants came for two sociological reasons: the push factor (wars, famine, persecution and overpopulation) and the pull factors (jobs and the promise of freedom). Most came by ship, and a passage often cost the equivalent of an entire life's savings causing many

Imagine a world with an educated youth. Now imagine a parallel world where children are fighting to keep a smile on their faces, because, in truth, it is the only thing they have. In reality, this is what is happening. Youth, who have the privilege to be American citizens, are granted a very fulfilling education with a promise of a career. Children of illegal and undocumented immigrants do not have such luck. Some undocumented children in America have very promising futures and even a degree under their belts, but they cannot apply for a job because they have no proof of citizenship. A controversial topic is the matter of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education, for Alien Minors) which permits undocumented immigrants to obtain

The country is the first and most the biggest obstacle on the journey of accomplishing for anyone and that’s an American Dream. Some may not appreciate how difficult it actually is to make a name as an immigrant to the United States. While many Americans know how difficult it is to find a good job in the American economy today and most do not realize and understand how hard it is to get in to this country on your own. If and when some immigrants get into our country, they are automatically forced to start at the bottom of the “totem pole” as Howard W. Foster said, “in the employment world, with many other out of work employees or employees who are new to the American workforce. Many immigrants that do not have an education or connections here in America, start off working minimum wage jobs, if they are fortunate, even some people who have been in America for their entire lives are forced to settle for minimum wage jobs.” According to Ted Widmer from “ What the Man behind the American Dream really meant” he explains there are not many employment opportunities out for immigrates and they are being turned down because of their race and where they came from but it is not the last step in trying to achieve their dreams. In many cases the money is not enough to live off of and some people are forced to get a second or third job that only pays minimum wage causing not enough time for education and without any education they can not move up in their life and they will stay at the same level for there rest of their life’s, it will continue it is an ending cycle in this generations and will be continued in the future. The American dream is about being satisfying with your life and completing your life but it is also about earning enough to have a respectable life, having the ability to move up within the work surroundings as well as

As we all know, Canada is an immigrant country. This beautify country attract more and more people who are longing for good future. In 2011, the population of foreign-born in Canada is about 6.7 million. No matter where we are from and what background we have, from the moment we land in Canada as immigrants, there are some problems we need to face to. The commonest three problems are learning a new language, adjusting to a new life-style, and finding a suitable job.

When someone hears the word immigrant most first think they are either poor, dirty, and illegal. What most people don’t look past the appearance they see walking past them. They don’t see the blood, sweat, or the long days and nights it took for that ‘immigrant’ to get where they are now. Also, most immigrants who travel to America travel here to give their children better lives. Therefore, those long days and nights will be worth it in the end when they can see their child walk across a stage and collect a diploma. However, undocumented children still are facing obstacles with not being allowed to attend community or state colleges, or receive in-state tuition, and most cannot receive financial aid.

Every year, about 2.8 million students graduate from a United States high school. They have dreams of going to college or to the military to have an opportunity to make something of their lives. However, each year, there is also a group of about 65,000 students who will not have that chance to advance in their lives (CIR_DREAM paragraph 1). They are unable to do so because they were brought to the US illegally by their parents when they were children, and have the status of an illegal immigrant. Despite the fact that these individuals have lived their entire lives in the US, this immigration status hinders their ability to obtain a higher education. Although an immigrant may have been residing in the state for years, they are not allowed

The reality that immigration policies and registration requirements create for undocumented students is a grim one; despite their scholarly capability, thousands upon thousands of undocumented students who have completed high school do not continue on with their education because of the lack of legal paperwork (DREAM Act). This has been the story line for countless undocumented valedictorians, like Grecia Cantu, who’s dream of going to Baylor University to become a teacher was plucked by a simple mandate of Congress (Smith). Despite having a presidential scholarship to Baylor University, Grecia’s future is hampered by her illegal status in the country and the inactivity of the DREAM Act in congress, which is due largely to its brisk opponents. Critics of the legislation falsely advocate that it grants preferential treatment to undocumented students (Malkin 1). In reality, the DREAM Act only grants qualifying individuals with a temporary residency, a driver’s license, and a work permit (Giving the Fact). This allows the students who meet the criteria the same tuition rates as natural-born citizens and a legal way to work and drive in the country. Another resounding critic among the opponents of the bill includes the common misconception that the DREAM Act will provide amnesty and forgive the federal offense immigrants committed when they entered the country illegally (Smith). In truth, only immigrants who entered the country during their youth, before age 16, are eligible for the benefits of the legislation. Once they apply, they will have to fulfill the requirements of completing a 2-year college or serve a 2-year term in the armed forces to finally receive resident status, not citizenship, after 6 years of proved residency (Creating Opportunities). If Congress allowed this legislation to

Many immigrants come to America in hope for a better life for themselves and their children, but sometimes they leave without experiencing the great opportunities they were promised. Lately, people are struggling to make ends meet and thinking that they made a great mistake coming to this country. People from all over have been questioning whether the “American Dream” is actually attainable now and in the future. Barack Obama, our 44th President, spoke on this briefly when he addressed his keynote at the Democratic National Convention before his presidency. He mentioned a young woman who had struggled with money when he said, “the young woman in East St. Louis, and the thousands more like her, who have the grades, have the drive, have the will, but doesn’t have the money to go to college. (Obama,7)”. In this keynote, he was addressing many of the problems that people had that the government was not resolving. He addressed this issue because it is very serious,

Is higher education an entitlement? As a daughter of immigrants, this question can not be answered by a simple yes or no. Every area of policy is multifaceted. Every idea about policy draws certain boundaries in the realm of politics and in the debate of social and economic legislation. “Ideas tell what or who is included or excluded in a category.”(Stone). The rationale of public policy is taking a complex agenda, situation or idea and attempting to scale it back into main points, arguments and agendas. Furthermore, an issue is “placed on the agenda,” and a problem gets defined…alternative solutions are proposed, analyzed, legitimized, selected and refined. A solution is implemented…” (Stone 10-11). In this instance, reducing any answer to a simple yes or no response fails to capture different points of views and different ideas and the diverse amount of forces at play. Matters of community, loyalty and public interest almost always ignore the school of rationale thought. For this purpose, using the very ambiguous label of “Americans”, we all must reconcile our social perceptions of what was believed to be our American heritage for what it visibly is.

With the need of workers with a high dreger who can we be letting people with the education and patient not work. Why do so may find the need to keep the american dream out the reach of many who worked hard for it. The story of so many high school student not be able to attend the school of their dream because they are not ligalal. This is a story I hear often one of a student who has worked so hard and has been able to get good grades be the first in their family to graduates and have no where to go. Some do make it to college, community college that is where they have to work and study because they don't get the help they deserve. There are so many opsicale for students that are labeled illegal, undocumented,and AB540 all words to

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most

The Obama administration in 2012 decided to launch the Deferred Act for young children arrival, which gave them temporary access of independence. The Migration Policy Institute states, “in 2014, it announced a new deferred action program for parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents” (n.d., para.1). The socioeconomic factors that lead to this legislation has a strong impact on this Act. There are exactly 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States waiting to become authorized so that they can start a bright future walking the path of success and continuing their own milestones. Gilma Celis believes that “the social and economic benefits of the implementation of the Dream Act would be beneficial to society” (2012, para.1). Many citizens who are from the United State do not understand that this Act is here to help illegals. It offers citizenship to the illegal immigrants who strive for a better life. “Immigrants up to age 35 who arrived in the United States before age 16 provided they complete two years of college” (Camarota, 2010, para. 1). Those that are given these benefits will receive in state tuition. Steven Camarota explains, “given the low income of illegal immigrants, most can be expected to attend state schools, with a cost to taxpayers in the billions of dollars” (2010, para.1). What led to this legislation is the simple fact that illegal immigrants are dreamers who believe

Many immigrants come to America in an effort to achieve a better life, and with hopes of achieving the “American Dream”. Many adults are grateful for any work that pays, but for their children the hopes are to get an education and become what they could not. Even with these opportunities many children of undocumented citizens are finding that once they complete high school their efforts of attending college are all but a dream. To assist this population the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) was proposed by Republican Senator Hatch Orin of Utah in August of 2001. It was an amendment to the Illegal Immigration Reform Control and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IRCA) of 1986, and was an effort to repeal

I would like to commend you for your courage on bringing up this subject because it is so controversial. This being that everyone has a different opinion about this topic, especially those that this affects. The article you wrote addresses and defines what is happening in the lives of young immigrant men and women, and the struggles that they have to face just to go to school. Each young immigrant child, whether they know they are immigrants or not, has the chance to get a elementary, middle, and high school education. Yet that is where it stops, because they are immigrants they are forced to pay the out of state tuition for college, and for some families the tuition is too expensive. Then to make the

Secondary education is a highly debated subject. Many critics of secondary education say that inner-city high schools and students are not receiving the same attention as students from non inner-city high schools. Two of the biggest concerns are the lack of school funding that inner-city high schools are receive and the low success rate in sending inner-city high schools graduates to college. Critics say that while inner-city high schools struggle to pay its teachers and educate its student’s non inner-city high schools don’t have to deal with the lack of school funding. Also students from non inner-city high school are not being given the opportunity to attend colleges once the